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Scented plants for the holiday season

Some paperwhite Narcissus have a strong scent but others are milder. Display in a sunny window.

Photograph by: Handout photo
, Netherlands Flower Bulb Info Centre

Now that Christmas is around the corner, you'll find me searching out scented indoor plants. I reserve a spot in my sunniest window for these special ones since the scent almost always comes from the flower and most flowering houseplants require bright light to thrive.

Here are some to try and another to take a gamble on.

The pure white paperwhiteNarcissus (a non-hardy or "tender" species of daffodil from the Mediterranean, Narcissus papyraceus), whose arrival in stores pronounces that Christmas is around the corner, is available already planted in pots, as singular bulbs or packaged multiples.

Although the common paperwhite has a somewhat strong (some say, offensive) scent, some paperwhites are advertised as having a lighter, less pungent fragrance. These are usually bi-colour, that is with white petals and a yellow corolla (or centre). This type comes from another tender species,Narcissus tazetta, which is unfortunately less readily available in stores. Nevertheless, make a point to ask around for named varieties, like Chinese Sacred Lily andConstantinople.

While I usually plant them in pots with soil and decorate with twigs, many gardeners use ceramic or glass bowls and plant these bulbs nestled among rocks or decorative pebbles. By filling the container with water right up to the base of the bulbs, you'll encourage the white roots to seek out this moisture and sprout vigorously, thereby securing them as they produce leaves and flowering stems.

But narcissus grown this way can often grow very tall and flop over. Believe it or not, the director of the Flower Bulb Research Program at Cornell University, Bill Miller, and one of his horticulture students, Erin Finan, conducted an experiment in 2005 in which they grew the plants in a diluted alcohol solution after they had achieved one to two inches of top-growth. These plants actually grew one-third shorter than the untreated bulbs. If you're inclined to try this remember: one part gin (or any liquor) to seven parts water.

Hyacinths (Hyacinthus orientalis) are intensely evocative spring flowers that have traditionally be grown in forcing vases. These are glass or ceramic containers with a cupped opening to cradle a single bulb and a wide base to accommodate its abundant root system. The challenge with hyacinth bulbs is that they need to be "forced", that is, encouraged to root into soil or water while exposed to chilled temperatures for several weeks. A cold but frost-free location is essential for this process and not all of us have access to this. If you use a fridge, you must avoid the presence of ethylene gas, which can be given off by ripening fruit, because this will damage the developing flowers.

Perhaps surprisingly, many of the other scented plants that are available during this time of year have white flowers. The Arabian jasmine (Jasminum sambac) is a shrubby form that can have a rather unruly shape but small, sweetly scented semi-double white flowers. This is perhaps the easiest form of jasmine to grow in the house, as long as you give it a bright spot with some humidity and go easy on the watering.

The climbing forms of jasmine (Jasminum officinale and Jasminum polyanthum) have clusters of single, white flowers and delicate pinnate leaves. These are often sold trained on a trellis, but need a more experienced owner to remain happy indoors. None of these jasmines are hardy for us as outdoor plants, so they must remain in their pots year round (although they would love to feel the fresh ­summer air).

Madagascar jasmine (Stephanotis floribunda) and wax plant (Hoya carnosa) are two twining plants with thick, waxy leaves that also have scented flowers. With an intensely heady fragrance while in bloom yet not particularly showy when not, these are worth cultivating for the flowers alone. Both of these plants are somewhat temperamental in that they do not like a change in condition (orientation or temperature) while getting ready to flower (or else they will abort and drop their buds), but neither is more finicky than the gardenia.

That fickle yet beautiful plant (Gardenia jasminoides) has been my nemesis for years and it is only the most dedicated indoor gardener who can get it to thrive and bloom indoors: Like a diva, in order to bloom it requires daytime temperatures between 18 and 21 C, and nights around 16 C. That's too much coddling for me. But give it a try: maybe you and it are meant for each other.

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